Tracks through Time: The Archaeology of the METRO Light Rail Corridor

Author(s): Glenn S.L. Stuart

Year: 2011

Summary

This book presents the results of the archaeological investigations that were conducted along then Light Rail route before and during its construction. As with any project that receives federal funding, METRO was legally required to undertake archaeological investigations along the project corridor; but production of this volume reflects not only METRO's commitment to legal compliance with environmental laws, but also the commitment of the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa to preserve and protect the rich prehistoric and historic heritage upon which they are built— a heritage that is reflected in the very name of Phoenix.

As a result of our investigations, we encountered a wealth of archaeological materials, investigated 1,049 features, and recovered over a quarter of a million artifacts— not surprising given that the Light Rail route traverses numerous prehistoric villages that were occupied by the Hohokam about 1,000 years ago. While only a very few of these artifacts can be described in this volume, most of them are curated (stored under controlled conditions so they can be preserved for future generations of researchers) at three local museums— Pueblo Grande Museum in Phoenix, the Tempe Historical Museum in Tempe, and the Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa. Here we discuss some of the more interesting prehistoric and historic artifacts and features that we found, and relate how their analysis has advanced what we know about the prehistoric and early historic occupations of the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Cite this Record

Tracks through Time: The Archaeology of the METRO Light Rail Corridor. Glenn S.L. Stuart. Tempe, AZ: Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd. 2011 ( tDAR id: 440621) ; doi:10.48512/XCV8440621

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Keywords

Culture
Historic • Hohokam

Material
antler tool • Anvilstone • Awl • Axe • Bead • Bottles • Building Materials • Censer • Ceramic • Charcoal • Chipped Stone • Clay Figurine • Copper bells • Core • earring • engravers • Fauna • Flakes • Glass • Ground Stone • handstones • Human Remains • Macrobotanical • Maize • Metal • metate • Mineral • Mortar • netherstones • novelty stones • Palette • Pendants • Pestle • Pollen • Shell • Shell Bracelet • Stone Tools • Wood Show More

Site Name
AZ T:12:273 (ASM) • AZ T:12:42 (ASM) • AZ T:12:70(ASM) • AZ U:9:1(ASM) • AZ U:9:165 (ASM) • AZ U:9:211 (ASM) • AZ U:9:214 (ASM) • Creamery Branch Railroad • Dos Casas • Dutch Canal Ruin • Hayden Ditch • Jefferson Hotel • La Plaza • Las Acequias • Los Pueblos Arriba • Original Phoenix Townsite • Phoenix Street Railway • Pueblo Grande • Pueblo Patrico • Turney 3 • Westward Ho

Site Type
Agricultural or Herding • Building Substructure • Canal or Canal Feature • Culvert • Domestic Structure or Architectural Complex • Domestic Structures • Funerary and Burial Structures or Features • Hearth • highway • House • Midden • Mound / Earthwork • Non-Domestic Structures • Pit • Platform Mound • Post Hole / Post Mold • Railroad • Resource Extraction / Production / Transportation Structure or Features • Road • Road, Trail, and Related Structures or Features • Roasting Pit / Oven / Horno • Saloon • timber box culvert • Tunnel • Wall • Water Control Feature

Investigation Types
Archaeological Overview • Architectural Documentation • Environment Research • Historic Background Research • Methodology, Theory, or Synthesis • Records Search / Inventory Checking • Site Evaluation / Testing

Geographic Keywords
Arizona (State / Territory) • Maricopa (County) • Mesa, AZ • Phoenix, AZ • Phoenix Basin • Tempe, AZ

Temporal Keywords
Historic • Hohokam • Prehistoric

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: 775 to 950 (Colonial Period)

Calendar Date: 1 to 775 (Pioneer Period)

Calendar Date: 950 to 1150 (Sedentary Period)

Calendar Date: 1150 to 1500 (Classic Period)

Spatial Coverage

min long: -112.099; min lat: 33.387 ; max long: -111.756; max lat: 33.46 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): City of Phoenix Archaeology Office

Contributor(s): Terry Phemister; Robert Forrest; Martin Spong; Sam Graham; Roy Alvarado; Joel Larkins; Gary Parr; Ralph Denninson; Larry Ely; Nick Moskos; Margerie Green

Field Director(s): Glennda Gene Luhnow; Walter R. Punzmann

Principal Investigator(s): Allan J. Schilz; Lourdes Aguila; Donald W. Jolly; Michael Droz; Glenn S.L. Stuart; Andrea R. Gregory; Joanne Tactikos; Thomas E. Jones; Alissa M. Letendre; Brad Dilli

Project Director(s): E. Melanie Ryan; Linda M. Schilling

Prepared By(s): Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd.

Submitted To(s): Valley METRO

Record Identifiers

Library of Congress Control Number:(s): 2011938994

File Information

  Name Size Creation Date Date Uploaded Access
Complete_VMLR_popular_report_final_OCR_PDFA.pdf 96.35mb Aug 1, 2011 Feb 1, 2018 2:51:37 PM Confidential
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Complete_VMLR_popular_report_final_OCR_PDFA_Redacted.pdf 123.88mb Mar 22, 2021 12:25:26 PM Public
This file is the redacted version of the resource.

Accessing Restricted Files

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Contact(s): City of Phoenix Archaeology Office

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